The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-10-19
THE GREAT WEST.
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENTS.
A VISIT TO THETUSQUITTEE BALD

SlOSCu OA 1uOSNGJ dilC1uOOIi anu GiICI''
was immediate dispersion Of the Court
and bar. A weary hiatus between this
adjournment and the meeting of Cher
okee Court would have opened for me,
but for the kindness of MIR. T. B. Bristol
who came in for me in the ternoon of
Tuesday, and brought me out to his
hospitable LONE and beautiful farm in
this, one of the most beautiful and fertile
valleys ofthis section. Here have been
enjoying the plearures OF rrral quiet in
the unaffected cordiality of most kind
and intelligent family, an old Burke
family, the patriarch of which MI G. W.
Bristol is still a part of it at the age of
near eighty years, spending his years
peacefully and happily sfmong his child
rem. settled along tt;l valley. He came
here in 1874, net long alter the Indian
lands were put on the market, and be
came the purchaser of a large and very
choice tract
My visit to Mr.. Bristol put it IN my power
to carry out a long meditated scheme,
which was to ascend and explore the
TusquitLee Bald. Coming down the val
| ley after crossing the gap from Macon
county, the long smooth shaven top of
the Bald peers up above the mass of in
| terVening mountains, among which it is
Set back some distance from the valley.
its nakedness giving the impression of
great elevation and also fprofound i3ola-
ton. Professor Kerr gives the height at
1925 feet above sea level. a party OF
United States enEin ers stationed on the
top for some months during the last Y ear
4. l,N,
ed a considerably higher altitude: but l
have never seen their figures.
Lad determined that there IVES some
thing to justify the ascent, and was
prompt to seize the opportunity given by
my visit to Mr. Bristol Tie weather
was every thing that could be desired
clear and cool without being cold. The
expedition was a tempting one, and
| would have been joined by willing vol
unteers if circumstances had permit d.
Miss Mamie Bristol, who had made the
ascent before was more than willing to
renew her experience; Mr.. Bris' el, senior
did not think his age bar to the adven
ture. But Mr.. Bristol, Junior. had harge
of the transportation force; and from his
pressing farm work he could only spare
two saddle horses. one for me, and one
for his two little boys, my guides and
companions The oldest, Artt ur, WAS
| just fourteen, but as hardy, experienced
and self reliant as a man. accustomed to
60 out by himself into the range to salt
or bring in cattle, and familiar with every
trail. The other, Sammy, i bri- ht little
| fellow of seven, was as large as his older
brother for the trip; and mounted behind
| him, looked forward to the pleasures OF
the day with boyish glee.
NVa Gnrf fla yO1oir, wood e.,
miles, then left it, following for few
hundred yards along a neighborhood
road until 've struck the trail At the fO3t
of the spurs which make out at right
ang les with the mother mountain These
sand out like ribs at regular intervals,
like ribs from the great dOrsal vertebrr
with 4 Very narrow COu.b or ridge, along
VIII ch the trail winds. The ascent soon
became very steep he. The valley we
left was about 1850 feet above sea Level;
the height We aimed 10 attain was near
340O feet, AID the ii ference, 5000 feet,
was to be overcome in two anI il half
miles. 1t WAS not lOns before | found
that must diSpens with my mare as a
Support and convert her into sort of
companion in the joint labor of tugging
up the long and seemingly insurmount-
able steep. | threw the bride over my
arm and bent % the work, taking breath
ing spells at easy intervals The little
boys did the same Soon we came among
the chestnut trees. The ground was GOV
tl'-d with the fresh fallen nuts The boys
w.re in their glory; and | did not disdaIn
~ ill my peck. Is The trees Were to
low, but the fruit was large.
There WAS no ces satiun Of steep climb
FIR the next uIi.: and half and the
patti, washed WITH the rainy torrents. be
cauIr III. r. rugged ami rocky. A. We
rett,:,I.',i unr. suIn,tiIcr .:ni less steep
ascent. Art9ur gave the pleasing informa
tio:, that W, nad at last rached tie main
iiUg'. Of the Bald. The pathway become
nr.rr level. the Grui.nd snIAoth, aud We
entrIed for several hundred Yards upon
long neck twenty or thirty yard wide,
thick set with the burr hazel and marlin
e with dwarf chestnut trees, and look
ing down on either side into the amaz-
ing depths of Tusquittee Valley on one
side, and the deep narrow gorge of Fires
Creek on the other 1t the end of this
neck doomed up the first dome like head
of the rusquittee Bad, a smooth. round
artificial looking elevation with gentle
slope in every direction except towards
the South when it seemed to shoot down
to the edge of an almost precipitous,
tremendous descent at an angle Of about
so degrees. The surface was covered
witn close coating of grass, interpe, sed
with Ciunps of huckleberry, and frequ
oEL large patches OF broken tiaL rocks.
The bas, of the dome was margined with
4 ~arf chestnut trees, so low that the b rys
gathered them frou the open burrs from
the back of their horse, and so small that
they were not larger than chinquauins.
There is nothing in these Balds TO
suggest the IDEA of b2rrennesS or deS ia
ticn, On the contrary they are strangely
suggestive of human presence au indus
try. They are like large fields within
their fences, and from which the cultiva-
tors are only temporarily absent. The
arrangement of the shrubberry and trees
which skirt the ''balas" also increase the
Illusion, in some places these intrudlng
into the naked ground in symmetrical
projections, with the heights Of the trees
or shrubberry nicely graduated, while
az ain the bold encroacFies deep down in
TO the thicke maxim. a charming pleas
ing alienation. To increase the domes
tic impression, fin" covey of partridges
sprung up from the grass, some of them
IiychIng far down the steep mountain
side, and others scattering oyer the open
ground This, at height of 5000 feet,
was game l had never seen An old
| field lark also sprung up, and re inded
/ OF low ground fell s am meal VS..
Crossing the fist Ba d, Arthur pointed
the way to spring down the mountain
at which we could lunch; for it was now
past l O'Clock, and the DO, were raven
ously hungry. The spring lay in broad
! gladly place, at the head of which stood a
large, gnarled, storm beaten oak, the
largest tree saw at the elevation. The
| uatnr ,uas clear and cold and Was the